Emu

Riley High school defensive lineman/offensive guard Tony Thomas has committed to play football at Eastern Michigan University. Thomas, 6-foot-2, 265 pounds, graded out in the top 50 of 700 athletes at the Nike combine in Chicago. Thomas has a 3.7 grade-point average. He was also recruited by Indiana and Ball State.

BUCHANAN -- Anybody seen Andy the emu? If so, Jean Wolf wants him back. The ostrich-like bird has lived on Wolf's 10-acre farm on Buffalo Road since December 2002, when he was captured after escaping from his pen on Bond Street in Niles. But last week, Wolf said, he jumped a fence and he's been missing ever since. "I suspect he is in the woods somewhere but he really could be anywhere by now," Wolf said. She said he most likely is in the Buffalo, Oak Forest or Bakertown road areas.

The New Carlisle man accused of fatally beating a Michigan woman's pet emu has posted bond. Jack Keldsen, 21, was released Wednesday from Berrien County Jail on interim bond. He appeared for arraignment Thursday in Berrien County Trial Court in Niles and pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of killing an animal and a misdemeanor count of larceny under $200. A judge set Keldsen's bail at $3,000 cash or surety bond. The judge also imposed a "24/7" curfew, prohibited him from having any contact with the emu's owner, Jean Wolf, or possessing animals, and restricted his travel locally between Michigan and Indiana, according to Berrien County Prosecutor Arthur Cotter.

The New Carlisle man accused of fatally beating a Michigan woman's pet emu has posted bond. Jack Keldsen, 21, was released Wednesday from Berrien County Jail on interim bond. He appeared for arraignment Thursday in Niles District Court and pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of killing an animal and a misdemeanor count of larceny under $200. A judge set Keldsen's bail at $3,000 cash or surety bond. The judge also imposed a "24/7" curfew, prohibited him from having any contact with the emu's owner Jean Wolf or possessing animals, and restricted his travel locally between Michigan and Indiana, according to Berrien County Prosecutor Arthur Cotter.

A second suspect has been arrested in the beating death of an area woman's pet emu. Thomas Clark, 21, of Galien, was picked up Thursday and charged with using a bat to kill Jean Wolf's pet emu on her farm near Buchanan Oct. 28. Clark is charged with a felony count of killing an animal and a misdemeanor charge of larceny under $200. In Michigan, felony killing an animal is punishable by up to four years in prison upon conviction with a fine up to $5,000 for one animal.

NILES -- A New Carlisle man will be sentenced in mid-April for his role in the death of a pet emu last October. Jack Keldsen, 21, appeared in Berrien County Trial Court last week and pleaded guilty to attempted killing or torturing of an animal. He also agreed to testify against an unnamed co-defendant who has not yet been arrested. The incident occurred Oct. 28 at a farm on Buffalo Road south of Buchanan. Assistant Prosecutor Cara Wilkinson said her office is dismissing the original charges of killing or torturing an animal and larceny under $200 as part of the plea agreement.

A second suspect has been arrested in the beating death of a local woman's pet emu. Thomas Clark, 21, of Galien was picked up Thursday and charged with using a bat to kill Jean Wolf's pet emu on her farm near Buchanan Oct. 28. Clark is charged with a felony count of killing an animal and a misdemeanor charge of larceny under $200. In Michigan, felony killing an animal is punishable by up to four years in prison upon conviction with a fine up to $5,000 for one animal.

NILES - A New Carlisle man will be sentenced in mid-April for his role in the death of a pet emu last October. Jack Keldsen, 21, appeared in Berrien County Trial Court last week and pleaded guilty to attempted killing or torturing of an animal. He also agreed to testify against an unnamed co-defendant who has not yet been arrested. The incident occurred Oct. 28 at a farm on Buffalo Road south of Buchanan. Assistant Prosecutor Cara Wilkinson said her office is dismissing the original charges of killing or torturing an animal and larceny under $200 as part of the plea agreement.

Junior All-American candidates Trey Mancini and Eric Jagielo each collected multiple hits, but it was not enough to overcome three errors and eight free passes as Notre Dame saw its five-game winning streak come to a end, 12-6, against Eastern Michigan on Tuesday at Eck Stadium. Mancini went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI single. Jagielo also went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a pair of RBI singles. Matt Ternowchek (4-4) was charged with the loss after giving up seven earned runs on five hits in 2ð innings, while striking out two and walking one. At Frank Eck Stadium E. Michigan 004 301 013 - 12 12 3 Notre Dame 113 000 001 - 6 8 3 Joe Battistelli, Ryan Lavoie (3)

NILES -- He might have started the "whole mess" by taking a friend to a Bertrand Township farm that was home to emus, but a Berrien County Trial Court jury decided that Galien resident Thomas Clark did not kill or torture a pet emu last October. Clark, 21, of Buffalo Road in Galien, was on trial this week in Niles on two charges: a felony charge of killing or torturing an animal and a misdemeanor charge of larceny over $200 and under $1,000 in taking the dead emu. The eight-woman, four-man jury deliberated 90 minutes Wednesday afternoon and found Clark not guilty of the first charge and guilty of the second.

NILES - He might have started the "whole mess" by taking a friend to a Bertrand Township farm that was home to emus, but a Berrien County Trial Court jury decided that Galien resident Thomas Clark did not kill or torture a pet emu last October. Clark, 21, of Buffalo Road in Galien, was on trial this week in Niles on two charges: a felony charge of killing or torturing an animal and a misdemeanor charge of larceny over $200 and under $1,000 in taking the dead emu. The eight-woman, four-man jury deliberated 90 minutes Wednesday afternoon and found Clark not guilty of the first charge and guilty of the second.

NILES -- A New Carlisle man was sentenced Monday to jail, tether and probation for his part in the October 2011 killing of a pet emu on a Buchanan-area farm. Jack Keldsen, 21, of New Carlisle, was sentenced in Berrien County Trial Court for attempted killing/torturing of an animal after he had pleaded guilty to that charge in mid-March. The incident occurred Oct. 28 at a farm on Buffalo Road in Bertrand Township. Berrien County Trial Judge Dennis Wiley placed Keldsen on three years of probation and ordered him to serve 90 days in jail with credit for six days already served followed by 90 days on tether.

NILES -- A New Carlisle man testified Tuesday that he and a friend went to a Buchanan-area farm in late October to ride an emu after a night of drinking. Jack Keldsen went on to testify that his friend, Thomas Clark, killed the emu with a baseball bat and the two dumped the dead bird on a friend's doorstep as a prank. Keldsen was on the witness stand Tuesday during a preliminary hearing for Clark. Clark is charged with killing and/or torturing an animal and larceny over $200 and under $1,000.

Dani Miller went 2-for-3 with four RBIs to lead Notre Dame to a 10-0 win over Eastern Michigan in its regular season finale. Laura Winter struck out seven and allowed four hits in four innings. Alexa Maldonado added two hits, drew two walks, scored three times and drove in one run as the Irish improved to 33-13. NOTRE DAME 10, E. MICHIGAN 0 At South Bend EMU 000 00 - 0 4 6 Notre Dame 325 0x - 10 8 1 Jenna Ignowski (L, 11-10)

A second suspect has been arrested in the beating death of a local woman's pet emu. Thomas Clark, 21, of Galien was picked up Thursday and charged with using a bat to kill Jean Wolf's pet emu on her farm near Buchanan Oct. 28. Clark is charged with a felony count of killing an animal and a misdemeanor charge of larceny under $200. In Michigan, felony killing an animal is punishable by up to four years in prison upon conviction with a fine up to $5,000 for one animal.

Jack Keldsen likes "Snitches get Stitches." The 21-year-old New Carlisle man includes a thumbs up on his Facebook page to the Brass Knuckles Crew's Facebook offering "Snitches get Stiches" that warns ... "watch who you snitch on, cause it could end up ugly." Or, in Keldsen's case, ironic. Keldsen pleaded guilty in Berrien County Trial Court last week to the Oct. 28 beating death of Jean Wolf's pet emu, Andy, on Wolf's farm near Buchanan. Under the conditions of his plea to attempted killing or torturing of an animal -- a high court misdemeanor that carries a maximum two years behind bars -- Keldsen agreed to testify against his 20-year-old Galien accomplice, who has yet to be arrested.